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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: cue · snap · rush · arm · row · present · stem · saw

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. present — there
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. row — a line
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. present — a gift
  17. rush — hurry
  18. present — the time now
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stem — to come from
  21. saw — the tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cue — for pool
  24. snap — to click

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