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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: tube · last · stem · arm · patient · staff · track · foot

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. last — to go on
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — finally
  8. track — a song
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. staff — employees
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. foot — a measure
  15. track — a path
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. stem — to come from
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. last — final

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