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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: lash · stem · trunk · firm · cell · clip · foot · cue

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. clip — to cut
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. clip — a video
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cell — a phone
  20. firm — a company
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. firm — steady

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