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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mine — for digging
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. foot — a measure
  16. clip — to cut
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. can — a tin
  24. stem — to come from

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