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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. last — finally
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — final
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — the season
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. racket — a loud noise

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