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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: stand · net · chest · arm · lash · fine · nail · root

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chest — of your body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. net — for catching
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chest — of your body
  12. root — the cause
  13. fine — all right
  14. net — after costs
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chest — a box
  19. fine — high quality
  20. root — of a word
  21. net — in sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fine — a penalty

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