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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. object — to protest
  8. clip — to cut
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. object — an aim
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — a video
  20. cue — for pool
  21. object — a thing
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stem — to come from
  24. foot — part of the body

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