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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — in biology
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — to come from
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cell — a phone
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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