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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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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: foot · fork · stem · mug · craft · last · arm · straw

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — boats
  7. last — final
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mug — to rob
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — to go on
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. last — finally
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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