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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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Word bank
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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: arm · cell · chip · hide · pound · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cell — in biology
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pound — a weight
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cell — a phone

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