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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: chest · racket · toast · stock · club · wave · fall · arm

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. chest — of your body
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stock — goods
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — for dancing
  17. toast — bread
  18. stock — shares
  19. club — for golf
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. club — a group
  22. chest — a box
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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