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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 120 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: arm · suit · pit · fall · squash · shower · fine · bowl

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fall — the season
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fine — high quality
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — a hole
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fine — all right
  17. fall — to drop
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. suit — clothes
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. squash — the sport

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