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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ball — a great time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pass — a permit
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. craft — boats
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. net — in sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. scale — in music
  18. rule — a law
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. net — for catching
  21. ball — a dance
  22. net — after costs
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rule — government

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