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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: foot · lie · chair · stem · scale · trunk · ball · fall

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. stem — to come from
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fall — to drop
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chair — a leader
  7. scale — in music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fall — the season
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lie — to recline
  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