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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. game — a match
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. spell — a short time
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stem — to come from
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. game — wild animals
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spell — magic
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spell — letters
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rash — a series
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stem — of a plant
  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