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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. shower — rain
  15. fall — the season
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. board — a committee
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. deal — to handle

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