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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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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 · stem · bear · suit · rash · capital · sharp · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stem — to come from
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. suit — in cards
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. capital — money
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. capital — a city
  14. rash — a series
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bear — the animal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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