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

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. firm — decided
  3. rock — music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fall — to drop
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stem — to come from
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. rock — a stone
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fall — the season
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stem — of a plant
  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