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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. court — for sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — the season
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. present — the time now
  13. rash — a series
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. present — there
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. present — a gift

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