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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · fall · fan · stick · object · scale · club · arm

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. club — a group
  11. fall — the season
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. club — for dancing
  18. scale — in music
  19. object — a thing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. object — to protest
  22. club — for golf
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wake — a trail

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