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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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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: stem · arm · field · key · pitch · lie · nail · fall

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. field — farmland
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. field — a subject
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stem — to come from
  13. field — for sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. key — in music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fall — the season
  24. key — the most important part

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