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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fall — to drop
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. date — the fruit
  8. kid — child
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fall — the season
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bass — low music
  16. toast — bread
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bass — the fish
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mine — an explosive

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