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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — to visit
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — thin
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stand — to bear
  11. court — for sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — the season
  17. court — of law
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pop — soda
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pop — music
  24. court — of a king

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