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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. bass — low music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. root — the cause
  20. cue — for pool
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bear — the animal

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