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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. toast — bread
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. tube — a container
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. hand — in cards
  11. foot — a measure
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rule — a law
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hand — help
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bat — the animal
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. hand — part of the body

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