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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. firm — decided
  4. shower — rain
  5. clip — to cut
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — soda
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pop — music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. prune — to trim
  13. clip — a video
  14. firm — a company
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pop — to visit
  18. clip — for paper
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. firm — steady
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wave — with your hand

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