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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: snap · rule · stem · nail · arm · tube · scale · patient

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stem — to come from
  3. tube — a container
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. scale — in music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. rule — government
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rule — a law
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stem — a stem cell

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