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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. row — a line
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. staff — employees
  8. foot — a measure
  9. toast — bread
  10. cold — not warm
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. staff — a stick
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cold — an illness
  18. can — to be able to
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. staff — employees
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bear — the animal
  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