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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. file — a line of people
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. file — a document
  20. stem — to come from
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rash — a series
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stem — a stem cell

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