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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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. arm — a part of something
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pit — a hole
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. season — of the year
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spring — the season
  16. season — in sport
  17. pit — in a race
  18. spring — of water
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — a loud noise

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