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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: chest · stem · cue · ruler · firm · mine · content · wave

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. content — happy
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. firm — steady
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chest — a box
  17. content — the amount
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chest — of your body

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