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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. toast — bread
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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