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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. field — a subject
  7. spell — magic
  8. mate — to breed
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spell — letters
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. field — farmland
  17. stem — to come from
  18. scale — in music
  19. mate — a partner
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mate — a friend
  22. field — for sport
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spell — a short time

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