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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fall — the season
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. club — for golf
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — for dancing
  15. scale — in music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fine — all right
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. club — a group

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