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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wake — a trail
  4. object — to protest
  5. wind — moving air
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wind — moving air
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bore — to drill
  14. object — a thing
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. face — to confront
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. face — part of the head

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