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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stem — to come from
  4. toast — bread
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. content — happy
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — of water
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rock — a stone
  18. content — the amount
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. pit — in a race

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