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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: cabinet · pound · saw · craft · arm · fall · chest · pit

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. chest — a box
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. craft — boats
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — a skill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pit — a hole

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