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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mug — a face
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fine — all right
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fine — high quality
  14. season — of the year
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. degree — temperature
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. arm — a part of something

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