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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a trace
  9. spell — letters
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — magic
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. tube — a container
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spell — a short time
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. foot — the bottom
  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