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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ball — a great time
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. object — an aim
  10. root — of a word
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. root — of a plant
  14. court — of a king
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. root — the cause
  17. stem — to come from
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. object — a thing
  22. court — for sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. safe — out of danger

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