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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chest — a box
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chest — of your body
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. safe — out of danger

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