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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hand — in cards
  4. land — ground
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. land — a country
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kick — in football
  13. degree — from a university
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mate — to breed
  23. land — to come down
  24. hand — help

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