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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. land — ground
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. firm — steady
  7. land — to come down
  8. lean — thin
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. firm — a company
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — a friend
  17. land — a country
  18. fork — in a road
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lean — to bend
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. leaves — of a tree

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