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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 · fan · capital · content · hide · stem · ruler · foot

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. capital — a city
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. capital — money
  9. content — the amount
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. content — happy
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — to come from

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