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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: stem · arm · rule · fork · leaves · coach · hide · calf

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rule — a law
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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