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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · nail · leaves · last · pitcher · arm · land · stand

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. land — to come down
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kid — child
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. last — finally
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. kid — to tease
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. land — a country
  14. last — to go on
  15. land — ground
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. last — final

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