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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. current — happening now
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stem — to come from
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. roll — a list
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — electric
  21. deal — to handle
  22. current — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — a sick person

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