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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stem — to come from
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — of the year
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. season — in sport
  17. press — to push
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — a publisher
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. press — newspapers
  24. season — to add flavour

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