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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · bulb · nail · cell · arm · dip · field · stand

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — a subject
  6. cell — a phone
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bulb — for light
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cell — in a prison

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