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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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 — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. present — there
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. suit — in cards
  8. clip — for paper
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. clip — a video
  11. content — the amount
  12. present — a gift
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — army training
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. present — the time now
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. clip — to cut
  23. content — happy
  24. arm — a part of something

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