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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. firm — a company
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — rain
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. firm — steady
  16. drill — army training
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fall — the season
  19. bass — low music
  20. firm — decided
  21. bass — the fish
  22. drill — the tool
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fall — to drop

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