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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. tear — from crying
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. tear — from crying
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rest — a break
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — to come from
  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