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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chair — a leader
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — after costs
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. plane — a tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. net — for catching
  18. degree — from a university
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — the season
  24. net — in sport

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