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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 · arm · cap · hide · snap · rest · toast · mouse

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — a break
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stem — to come from
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. toast — bread
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. snap — to click

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