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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stem — to come from
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. squash — to crush
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — a lid
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. object — to protest
  14. mark — a grade
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cap — a hat
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cap — of ice
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mark — a trace

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