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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: row · nail · file · arm · hand · stock · face · perch

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — to point toward
  5. hand — in cards
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. face — to confront
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. file — a tool
  14. row — a line
  15. stock — goods
  16. row — to paddle
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stock — shares
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hand — help
  24. nail — for a hammer

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