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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. sharp — clever
  8. shower — rain
  9. track — to keep track
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stem — to come from
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. track — a song
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. track — a path
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. can — to be able to
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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