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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lean — to bend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stem — to come from

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