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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — the cause
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. craft — boats
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. lean — to bend
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. capital — a city
  16. craft — a skill
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. root — of a word
  20. cell — a phone
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. capital — money

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