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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. craft — boats
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mate — a friend
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pound — a weight
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stem — to come from

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