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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — to protest
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. object — an aim
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spell — magic
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. hand — help
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. object — a thing
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hide — animal skin

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