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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. roll — a list
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fall — the season
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mug — a face
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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