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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.

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: bore · bay · wake · ground · lean · last · foot · stem

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. last — to go on
  6. lean — thin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. last — finally
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ground — a position
  24. last — final

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