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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. land — a country
  4. present — the time now
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — ground
  7. fall — the season
  8. current — happening now
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — a gift
  11. current — of water
  12. fall — to drop
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. present — there
  17. current — electric
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. land — to come down
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — a song
  24. staff — a stick

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