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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mark — a grade
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. net — after costs
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. court — of a king
  13. mark — a trace
  14. file — a tool
  15. net — for catching
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. file — a document
  19. net — in sport
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. court — for sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stem — to come from
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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