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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — of a river
  10. spring — of water
  11. can — to be able to
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. spring — the season
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stem — to come from
  18. can — a tin
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. can — a tin

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