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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — a division
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — a box
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rest — what's left
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chest — of your body
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chest — of your body

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