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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fall — to drop
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — the season
  6. last — to go on
  7. mug — to rob
  8. present — a gift
  9. mug — a face
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. present — there
  14. swing — to play on
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. present — the time now
  18. last — final
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. capital — a city
  21. swing — music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. capital — money
  24. last — finally

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