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

Word bank: stem · row · arm · nail · race · spring · firm · wind

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — steady
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spring — of water
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stem — to come from
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. race — a contest
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wind — moving air
  19. firm — decided
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. race — humankind
  22. spring — the season
  23. firm — a company
  24. row — a line

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