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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 · stand · fall · object · date · toast · bass · cap

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. object — an aim
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. toast — bread
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. fall — the season
  10. cap — a lid
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bass — low music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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