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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fall · ball · perch · bass · mate · mine · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. mate — a partner
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bass — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bass — low music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ball — a dance
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mine — for digging
  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