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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — in music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stem — to come from
  23. deal — to handle
  24. scale — size or range

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