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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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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: stem · degree · tear · foot · fan · arm · race · present

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. degree — temperature
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tear — from crying
  7. present — a gift
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. present — the time now
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stem — to come from
  18. present — there
  19. degree — an amount
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. race — a contest

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