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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · face · mug · trunk · row · arm · stem · drill

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mug — a face
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mug — to rob
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. row — to paddle
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chip — to eat
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mug — a cup
  17. drill — the tool
  18. face — to point toward
  19. chip — for betting
  20. drill — army training
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. row — a line
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stem — to come from

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