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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: rest · mug · pop · stem · arm · suit · file · lie

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pop — music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — soda
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rest — what's left
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mug — a cup
  23. file — a document
  24. pop — to visit

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