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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rash — hasty
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lie — to recline
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. fall — to drop
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — of water
  24. fall — the season

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