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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: fork · rush · temple · cue · arm · toast · snap · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. toast — bread
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. snap — to click
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rush — hurry
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cue — a signal
  24. toast — the most admired

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