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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spell — a short time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stem — to come from
  9. plane — a tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ground — the earth
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. arm — a part of something

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