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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. roll — a list
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. charge — in control
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. roll — a cake
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — clever
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — to come from
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. swing — music
  24. charge — electricity

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