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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ground — a position
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — out of danger

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