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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 taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mug — to rob
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stem — to come from
  13. shower — rain
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. kid — child
  18. wake — a trail
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mug — a face

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