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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stem — to come from
  4. kid — child
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stock — goods
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bass — low music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stock — shares
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stem — of a plant

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