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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. foot — a measure
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. field — a subject
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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