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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spell — letters
  4. cue — a signal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. perch — the fish
  19. foot — a measure
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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