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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mug — a cup
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mug — a face
  7. press — a publisher
  8. root — the cause
  9. face — to confront
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. press — to push
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mug — to rob
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. plane — a tool

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