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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mark — a trace
  3. row — a line
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mark — a grade
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wound — an injury
  16. board — a committee
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cap — a hat
  22. board — to get on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. row — to paddle

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