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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bat — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stock — goods
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. plane — a tool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. saw — the 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