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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · object · arm · swing · stem · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. swing — music
  7. object — a thing
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. swing — to play on
  13. object — to protest
  14. cell — in biology
  15. object — an aim
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. swing — in golf

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