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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rest — a break
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stem — to come from
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. track — a path
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. staff — employees
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rule — a law
  24. perch — for a bird

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