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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: arm · snap · straw · toast · stem · ball · tube · deal

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to click
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ball — a dance
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. tube — the underground
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. tube — a container
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ball — a round shape

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