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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. firm — a company
  3. track — a song
  4. fine — high quality
  5. roll — a cake
  6. firm — steady
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fine — all right
  9. roll — a list
  10. kid — child
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. firm — decided
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kid — to tease

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