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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. season — in sport
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. season — of the year
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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