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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: stock · nail · fan · lie · content · leaves · arm · jam

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stock — shares
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. content — the amount
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lie — to recline
  17. content — happy
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stock — goods
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. arm — 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