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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chest — a box
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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