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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. swing — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. race — humankind
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. land — a country
  10. race — the arms race
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. swing — to play on
  14. land — ground
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. land — to come down
  17. pit — a hole
  18. swing — in golf
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. race — a contest
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pit — in a race

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