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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: bay · scale · season · arm · sharp · fall · row · rush

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — size or range
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. scale — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. season — in sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. season — of the year
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rush — hurry
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fall — the season
  24. arm — part of the body

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