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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: stick · straw · arm · stem · hide · cabinet · ground · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ground — a position
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stem — to come from
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hide — to keep secret

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