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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stock — shares
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fall — to drop
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. swing — in golf
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wake — a trail
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stock — goods
  22. fall — the season
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. swing — music

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