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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. last — final
  6. cue — for pool
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. cue — a hint
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. last — to go on
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. capital — a city
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. last — finally
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mouse — the animal

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