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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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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: firm · stand · snap · present · saw · arm · root · rock

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. firm — steady
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. root — the cause
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. present — the time now
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — decided
  13. present — there
  14. snap — to click
  15. present — a gift
  16. root — of a plant
  17. firm — a company
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — of a word
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. saw — the tool
  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