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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 120 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
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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 · spell · face · ground · mouse · arm · cold · stem

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cold — an illness
  9. stand — to bear
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. spell — letters
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. face — part of the head
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. face — to confront
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. spell — magic
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. ground — a position

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