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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 120 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: pitch · stem · dip · bat · arm · lie · cue · temple

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bat — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lie — to recline
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. dip — to dunk

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