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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. net — for catching
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fall — the season
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. bear — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — in sport

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