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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
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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: roll · present · lie · stem · lash · arm · net · club

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. present — the time now
  3. club — for dancing
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. present — a gift
  7. net — after costs
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. club — a group
  19. roll — a list
  20. present — there
  21. lie — to recline
  22. club — for golf
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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