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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: arm · lean · pitcher · nail · fall · firm · tear · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fall — the season
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. firm — steady
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lean — thin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. firm — decided
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fall — to drop
  23. firm — a company
  24. tear — from crying

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