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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chest — a box
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spell — magic
  5. club — a group
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rock — music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chest — of your body
  10. spell — a short time
  11. can — a tin
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rock — a stone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. club — for golf
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spell — letters

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