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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. face — to confront
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bass — low music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bass — the fish

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