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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pound — a weight
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mark — a grade
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — the season
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mate — to breed
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stand — to bear
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fall — to drop

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