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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kick — in football
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. field — farmland
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. field — a subject
  9. last — finally
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. suit — to fit
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. last — to go on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. last — final
  24. field — for 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