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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — to eat
  17. drill — a practice
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. craft — a skill
  24. drill — army training

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