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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. last — final
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rest — a break
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. last — to go on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — a measure
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mouse — the animal

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