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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fall — to drop
  5. field — a subject
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pop — music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fall — the season
  12. field — for sport
  13. bound — obliged
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — soda
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bound — certain
  22. stem — to come from
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. field — farmland

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