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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mate — a friend
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. content — happy
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. object — a thing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — a committee
  11. stem — to come from
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. object — to protest
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. object — an aim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mate — a partner
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — to breed

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