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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. drill — army training
  4. tube — a container
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — the underground
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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