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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. object — to protest
  7. chip — to eat
  8. club — a group
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. clip — to cut
  14. club — for golf
  15. chip — for betting
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bore — to drill
  20. clip — a video
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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