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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pound — a weight
  17. plane — a tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fall — the season
  22. net — for catching
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chest — a box

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