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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. charge — electricity
  4. scale — size or range
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. scale — in music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. charge — a price
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — in control
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. lash — an eyelash

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