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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: cabinet · chair · stem · nail · arm · bass · lie · trunk

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bass — low music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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