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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. last — to go on
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. row — to paddle
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. last — final
  12. mate — to breed
  13. dip — to sink
  14. last — finally
  15. mate — a partner
  16. row — a line
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ground — a position
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ground — crushed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mate — a friend

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