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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. root — of a plant
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spell — magic
  14. root — the cause
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fall — the season
  20. mate — a partner
  21. root — of a word
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lean — thin
  24. spell — letters

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