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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. key — for a lock
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. key — in music
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. file — a tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pound — a weight
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — humankind

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