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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: scale · hand · deal · cell · stem · foot · wind · cue

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hand — in cards
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — a signal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stem — to come from
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cell — in biology
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — in music
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. hand — help
  24. deal — a big deal

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