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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fall — the season
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. scale — in music
  8. mug — a face
  9. land — ground
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fall — to drop
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. land — a country
  15. rash — a series
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. land — to come down
  20. rash — hasty
  21. toast — bread
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mug — a cup
  24. scale — size or range

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