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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rest — a break
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — the amount
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rash — a series
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bear — the animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rest — what's left
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rash — on the skin

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