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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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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: capital · arm · snap · cabinet · fan · stem · bound · chair

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. capital — money
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. snap — to click
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chair — a leader
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. capital — a city
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bound — tied together
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bound — certain
  24. chair — a professorship

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