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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: stick · stand · hide · arm · spring · foot · staff · wave

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — the season
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — animal skin

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