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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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. fall — the season
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. land — to come down
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. patient — a sick person

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