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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. spell — letters
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pop — soda
  16. spell — magic
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pop — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kid — child
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spell — a short time

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