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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. object — an aim
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. scale — in music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mouse — the animal

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