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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. roll — a cake
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chair — a leader
  16. craft — boats
  17. bore — to tire
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. vault — a safe

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