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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. hand — in cards
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stock — shares
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hand — help
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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