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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wound — an injury
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. present — a gift
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. present — there
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. present — the time now
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wave — of the sea

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