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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: snap · track · stem · hand · chair · arm · stick · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. track — a path
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — to come from
  6. hand — help
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chair — a leader
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. snap — to click
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bore — to drill
  23. track — to keep track
  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