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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. land — to come down
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ground — a position
  12. cue — for pool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. land — ground
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cue — a signal
  23. land — a country
  24. mate — a friend

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