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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. season — in sport
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stem — to come from
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. season — of the year
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stem — of a plant
  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