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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: arm · rule · hide · fan · key · mine · foot · stem

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — government
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mine — for digging
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. key — the most important part
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rule — a law
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. key — in music
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mine — belonging to me

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