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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. spring — the season
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — a coil
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — of water
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hand — in cards
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. present — the time now
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. foot — the bottom

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