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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pass — a permit
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mark — a trace
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. arm — part of the body

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