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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: mate · suit · fall · arm · rush · stand · land · game

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. game — wild animals
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fall — the season
  8. mate — to breed
  9. suit — to fit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stand — to bear
  12. land — to come down
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. game — a match
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. suit — in cards
  21. land — ground
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mate — a partner
  24. land — a country

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