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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 120 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: board · hand · kick · stem · nail · arm · foot · lean

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — to get on
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. foot — a measure
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hand — help
  19. stem — to come from
  20. kick — in football
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. hand — in cards

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