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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 · cue · wind · arm · nail · face · board · fall

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fall — the season
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stem — to come from
  7. board — a committee
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — to get on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — a signal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. face — to point toward
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. face — to confront
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wind — to turn a key

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