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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. swing — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. scale — size or range
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bound — obliged
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — certain
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fall — the season
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — a face
  17. swing — to play on
  18. scale — in music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bound — tied together
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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