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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — to come from
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bore — to tire
  14. foot — a measure
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. land — a country
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — a permit
  20. land — ground
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. land — to come down
  23. fall — the season
  24. prune — to trim

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