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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: nail · fan · arm · stem · snap · face · pound · board

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. board — to get on
  11. face — to confront
  12. snap — to click
  13. stem — to come from
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. board — a committee

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