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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fall — to drop
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. row — a line
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fall — the season
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a ring
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. band — a music group
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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