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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. shower — to wash

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