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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 116 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. cue — a hint
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. spring — of water
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stem — to come from
  22. kick — in football
  23. mark — a trace
  24. kick — a thrill

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