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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: object · pitch · fall · coach · arm · fan · last · saw

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. object — an aim
  8. fall — the season
  9. last — to go on
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. object — a thing
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitch — completely
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. object — to protest
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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