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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: mate · dip · mug · fall · stem · nail · capital · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mug — a face
  7. stem — to come from
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fall — the season
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mug — to rob
  13. capital — a city
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mug — a cup
  20. dip — to sink
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. capital — money
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — to drop

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