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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 · nail · suit · court · rush · spell · firm · root

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. rush — hurry
  8. firm — steady
  9. suit — to fit
  10. court — of law
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. court — for sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. root — the cause
  16. spell — magic
  17. court — of a king
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. suit — in cards
  20. root — of a plant
  21. spell — a short time
  22. root — of a word
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rush — to hurry

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