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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: land · stem · rock · can · spring · arm · track · chair

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. land — ground
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. chair — a leader
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. track — a path
  15. land — to come down
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spring — a coil
  19. land — a country
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stem — to come from
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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