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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — a video
  5. tear — from crying
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rock — music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rock — a stone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — a sick person

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