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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. toast — bread
  3. rest — a break
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rule — a law
  10. club — for golf
  11. lean — thin
  12. fall — the season
  13. rule — government
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — a group
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rest — what's left
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. club — for dancing

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