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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fine — all right
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rock — a stone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rock — music
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stem — to come from
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. fine — high quality
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stem — a stem cell

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