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

Word bank: rest · mug · hide · row · stem · court · key · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rest — a break
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. key — for a lock
  9. court — of a king
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. key — in music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. row — to paddle
  17. court — for sport
  18. mug — a cup
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mug — a face
  21. row — a line
  22. stem — to come from
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. court — of law

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