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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: arm · stem · cell · rest · swing · mate · season · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. swing — music
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rest — a break
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mate — a friend
  13. season — of the year
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. swing — in golf
  22. season — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cell — in biology

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