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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bank — of a river
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. sharp — clever
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bank — for money
  16. toast — bread
  17. ball — a great time
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. clip — to cut
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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