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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. chair — a leader
  5. row — a line
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. squash — the sport
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. row — to paddle
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. squash — to crush
  24. date — the fruit

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