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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · lie · land · kick · stem · cap · track · rash

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. kick — in football
  5. land — a country
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cap — a hat
  8. track — to keep track
  9. foot — a measure
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rash — a series
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. track — a song
  15. land — to come down
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — hasty
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lie — to recline
  20. land — ground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cap — a lid
  24. track — a path

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