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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mug — a face
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spring — the season
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. net — after costs
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mug — to rob
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fall — to drop
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. spring — of water
  19. roll — a list
  20. mug — a cup
  21. spring — a coil
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — the season
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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