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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chip — for betting
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. bound — certain
  10. march — music
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — rain
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stem — to come from
  24. current — electric

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