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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — the earth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mark — a trace
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ground — a position
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — the tool

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