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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: foot · ground · wind · stem · suit · mouse · leaves · cue

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cue — a hint
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cue — for pool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stem — to come from
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. suit — to fit
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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