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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stem — to come from
  10. key — for a lock
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. date — the fruit
  18. hand — help
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. key — in music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pound — a weight

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