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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: roll · court · arm · squash · tube · row · stem · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. roll — a cake
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. lie — to recline
  14. court — of law
  15. row — a line
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. squash — to crush
  18. tube — a container
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stem — to come from
  24. squash — the vegetable

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