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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: stand · last · rush · key · arm · stem · clip · tear

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. clip — a video
  6. last — finally
  7. tear — from crying
  8. clip — to cut
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. clip — for paper
  14. key — in music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. key — the most important part
  17. last — final
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stem — to come from
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tear — from crying

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