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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. key — in music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. land — ground
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mine — for digging
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. stand — to bear

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