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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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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bear — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rest — a break
  14. fall — to drop
  15. file — a document
  16. bear — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — what's left
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fall — the season
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fall — to drop
  24. patient — a sick person

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