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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. object — to protest
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. object — a thing
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. object — an aim
  24. hand — help

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