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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: drill · lie · mark · arm · stem · pop · snap · bowl

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. snap — to click
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. drill — a practice
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. drill — the tool
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pop — soda
  16. drill — army training
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — a dish

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