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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. hand — in cards
  4. firm — steady
  5. object — an aim
  6. firm — a company
  7. object — to protest
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — decided
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. object — a thing
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. hand — help
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. nail — on a finger

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