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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. present — the time now
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — there
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. present — a gift
  13. stem — to come from
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. court — for sport
  22. staff — a stick
  23. court — of a king
  24. arm — part of the body

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