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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — a leader
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pit — in a race
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. current — happening now
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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