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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mug — a face
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mug — to rob
  6. tube — a container
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — a break
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mug — a cup
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — to handle

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