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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. court — of law
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — a container
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — to bend
  17. court — of a king
  18. content — happy
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. content — the amount
  21. court — for sport
  22. stem — to come from
  23. file — a document
  24. content — videos and posts

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