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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spell — a short time
  3. object — to protest
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stem — a stem cell

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