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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cap — a lid
  4. net — after costs
  5. bore — to tire
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. drill — a practice
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. face — part of the head
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cap — of ice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bore — to drill
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. net — in sport
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. drill — army training

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