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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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. firm — steady
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. net — for catching
  11. wound — an injury
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hand — in cards
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bass — low music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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