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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. degree — an amount
  5. band — a ring
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. band — a music group
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bear — the animal
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rest — a break
  24. bear — the animal

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