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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. last — finally
  3. drill — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fall — to drop
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — a break
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rest — what's left
  16. last — to go on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. drill — army training
  22. fall — the season
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. last — final

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