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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. staff — employees
  4. stem — to come from
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wax — to grow
  20. sharp — clever
  21. foot — a measure
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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