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

Word bank: arm · kick · jam · club · pound · chest · deal · fall

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chest — of your body
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. club — for dancing
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. chest — a box
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. club — for golf
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chest — of your body
  20. club — a group
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pound — a weight
  23. deal — to handle
  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