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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fall — the season
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — for a lock
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — in music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — a hint
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. key — the most important part
  19. hand — help
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cue — a signal

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