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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: arm · stem · bark · foot · cue · fall · jam · mate

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mate — to breed
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cue — a hint
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a partner
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mate — a friend
  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