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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — a stone
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — happy
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rock — music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ground — the earth
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. content — the amount

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