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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stem — to come from
  3. foot — a measure
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. drill — army training
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. drill — the tool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — in a road
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — to go on
  24. fork — a garden tool

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