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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cue — for pool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. tube — the underground
  16. capital — a city
  17. cue — a hint
  18. capital — money
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — a container

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