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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: pitcher · arm · chip · bass · straw · fall · tube · stem

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fall — the season
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bass — the fish
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tube — a container
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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