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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: mug · nail · chair · stand · arm · firm · rash · ground

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ground — a position
  5. chair — a leader
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mug — a face
  8. firm — a company
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. firm — decided
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — steady
  21. ground — the earth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — a series
  24. nail — on a finger

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