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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. root — the cause
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. root — of a plant
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. arm — 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