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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. staff — a stick
  9. game — wild animals
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — to sink
  18. row — to paddle
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. row — a line
  22. stem — to come from
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — part of the body

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