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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 120 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: row · cap · arm · bank · nail · chest · stem · cue

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cap — of ice
  6. row — a line
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stem — to come from
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cue — for pool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cue — a hint
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chest — a box
  18. bank — for money
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cue — a signal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bank — for money
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — part of the body

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