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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fine — all right
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. track — a song
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — a path
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chest — a box

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