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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. degree — from a university
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stem — to come from
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. leaves — lets stay

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