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

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. track — a path
  6. mine — for digging
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. staff — employees
  12. track — to keep track
  13. kick — in football
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — high quality
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — all right
  20. staff — a stick
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — to drop

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