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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: roll · land · stem · arm · lash · wake · wind · foot

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wake — a trail
  8. land — to come down
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stem — to come from
  12. land — a country
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. roll — a list
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. land — ground

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