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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. squash — the sport
  4. toast — bread
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mate — a friend
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stem — to come from
  17. lean — thin
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mate — to breed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. arm — a part of something

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