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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · tube · arm · last · pit · scale · cabinet · bank

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — in music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. tube — a container
  13. last — final
  14. bank — for money
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stem — to come from
  18. last — finally
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — in a race
  23. last — to go on
  24. bank — for money

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