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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. kid — to tease
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rule — a law
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wound — an injury
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stem — to come from
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kid — child
  24. safe — out of danger

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