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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chest — a box
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. court — for sport
  16. march — music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. court — of a king
  20. chest — of your body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. court — of law
  24. march — the month

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