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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stock — shares
  5. lean — thin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stem — to come from
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. degree — temperature
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stock — goods
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rest — a break

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