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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · foot · staff · stem · pop · fall · field · charge

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fall — to drop
  3. field — a subject
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pop — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pop — to visit
  11. field — for sport
  12. fall — the season
  13. stem — to come from
  14. field — farmland
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. pop — soda
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fall — to drop

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