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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rule — government
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. snap — to click
  14. land — to come down
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. file — a document
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — a law
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — to rule out

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