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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. root — of a word
  6. face — to point toward
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. face — part of the head
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cap — a hat
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cap — a lid
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. face — to confront
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. root — the cause
  19. stem — to come from
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — of ice

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