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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.

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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. object — to protest
  3. kid — child
  4. rock — a stone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. tear — to rip
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tear — from crying
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. object — an aim
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. object — a thing
  21. hand — in cards
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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