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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rest — what's left
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rest — a break
  9. roll — a list
  10. fall — the season
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fall — to drop
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bass — low music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lean — thin
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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