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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 120 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: mate · ground · tube · stem · cabinet · arm · suit · chest

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tube — the underground
  6. suit — to fit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mate — to breed
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chest — a box
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tube — a container
  17. chest — of your body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ground — a position
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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