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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. saw — the tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hand — help
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stem — to come from
  12. season — of the year
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stand — to bear
  16. hand — in cards
  17. toast — bread
  18. foot — a measure
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stem — of a plant

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