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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · hand · stand · stem · scale · face · calf · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. face — to confront
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. scale — size or range
  24. calf — of the leg

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