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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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 trace
  3. chest — a box
  4. game — a match
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — happening now
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mark — a grade
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. swing — music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. current — of water
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chest — of your body
  17. current — electric
  18. swing — in golf
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. swing — to play on
  22. toast — bread
  23. chest — of your body
  24. game — wild animals

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