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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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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 · march · snap · file · stand · stick · arm · object

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. file — a document
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. march — music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. file — a tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stem — to come from
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. object — a thing

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