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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a song
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. saw — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fine — high quality
  11. track — a path
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fall — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. date — the fruit
  18. object — an aim
  19. fine — all right
  20. fall — to drop
  21. object — a thing
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. object — to protest
  24. track — to keep track

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