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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: rock · stem · rest · last · can · game · tear · foot

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. foot — a measure
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rock — a stone
  6. game — a match
  7. can — a tin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. tear — from crying
  10. can — a tin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. tear — from crying
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. game — wild animals
  17. last — final
  18. rest — a break
  19. last — to go on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rock — music
  22. last — finally
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rock — to move gently

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