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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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. wave — of the sea
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. march — the month
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. file — a line of people
  12. staff — employees
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. march — the month
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bear — the animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. file — a document
  20. bear — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. staff — employees
  24. march — music

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