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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — a safe
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. root — the cause
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. root — of a plant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rest — a break
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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