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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: arm · chest · rash · last · spell · stem · bowl · stand

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rash — a series
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chest — of your body
  7. last — final
  8. stem — to come from
  9. chest — a box
  10. last — to go on
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. spell — letters
  23. last — finally
  24. arm — a part of something

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