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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. key — in music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. present — there
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stem — to come from
  10. present — a gift
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. present — the time now
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mug — a face
  18. saw — the tool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mug — a cup
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. saw — the tool
  24. trunk — of a tree

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