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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 124 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. roll — a cake
  4. craft — a skill
  5. content — happy
  6. lean — thin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. craft — boats
  12. fall — to drop
  13. roll — a list
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fall — the season
  22. content — the amount
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chair — a leader

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