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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ground — crushed
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. toast — bread
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rest — a break
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a line
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lean — thin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lean — to bend
  24. arm — part of the 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