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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — in music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bound — certain
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bulb — for light
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stem — to come from
  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