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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: present · arm · mine · race · object · stand · straw · staff

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. object — a thing
  3. staff — employees
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mine — for digging
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. object — to protest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. race — humankind
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. object — an aim
  17. present — a gift
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stand — to bear
  20. staff — employees
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. staff — a stick
  23. race — a contest
  24. stand — on your feet

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