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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — thin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. board — a committee
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. scale — in music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stem — to come from
  24. foot — a measure

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