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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. foot — a measure
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. shower — rain
  5. mark — a trace
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mark — a grade
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stem — to come from
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. branch — a division

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