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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 · march · foot · spring · straw · hand · stand · current

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. current — happening now
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stand — to bear
  11. foot — a measure
  12. march — the month
  13. hand — in cards
  14. march — the month
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. march — music
  19. spring — of water
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — the season
  22. hand — help
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. hand — part of the body

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