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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chair — a leader
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chip — to eat
  22. can — a tin
  23. stem — to come from
  24. chair — a professorship

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