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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mate — a partner
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rest — a break
  6. mate — to breed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. ground — a position
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — a friend
  22. present — there
  23. lean — thin
  24. arm — a part of something

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