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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chest — of your body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. land — to come down
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. land — a country
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stem — to come from
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — ground
  24. chest — a box

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com