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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — a division
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — the season
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fall — to drop

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