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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. date — the fruit
  3. row — to paddle
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spell — letters
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. foot — a measure
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bore — to tire
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. row — a line
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  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