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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chip — to eat
  6. drill — army training
  7. spring — of water
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spring — the season
  15. stem — to come from
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. drill — a practice
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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