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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: cold · racket · snap · stem · fall · tube · cue · foot

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tube — the underground
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cold — not warm
  7. fall — the season
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cue — a signal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tube — a container
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cold — an illness
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. foot — a measure
  24. snap — to click

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