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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: nail · suit · arm · fall · tear · game · firm · stand

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. firm — decided
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. game — a match
  13. suit — to fit
  14. firm — steady
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — a company
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fall — to drop
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stand — to bear

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