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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. field — for sport
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — farmland
  11. face — to point toward
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rest — a break
  15. shower — rain
  16. stem — to come from
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. field — a subject
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. face — to confront
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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