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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. board — a committee
  14. foot — a measure
  15. game — a match
  16. toast — bread
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — a line
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stem — to come from
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fall — the season
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. row — a quarrel

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