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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.

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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: current · stand · ground · drill · arm · stem · kid · face

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. face — to confront
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kid — child
  7. current — of water
  8. face — part of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. face — to point toward
  16. current — electric
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. current — happening now
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. arm — part of the body

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