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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · fine · shower · face · club · arm · mine · object

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. club — for golf
  2. face — to confront
  3. mine — for digging
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fine — all right
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. object — a thing
  21. club — for dancing
  22. fall — the season
  23. club — a group
  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