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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. scale — in music
  4. season — in sport
  5. scale — size or range
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. object — to protest
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. key — in music
  17. object — an aim
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. object — a thing
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. season — of the year
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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