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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fall — to drop
  9. club — for golf
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fall — the season
  12. pop — music
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. pop — soda
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bear — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lie — an untruth

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