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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. foot — a measure
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. clip — to cut
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. clip — for paper
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. suit — to fit
  20. clip — a video
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. present — there

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