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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rest — a break
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. snap — to click
  7. season — of the year
  8. mug — a face
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mug — a cup
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mug — to rob
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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