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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kick — in football
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mine — for digging
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mug — a cup
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. content — the amount

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