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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 · kick · mine · field · stem · arm · object · craft

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mine — for digging
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kick — in football
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. object — to protest
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. field — farmland
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. craft — boats
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stem — to come from
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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