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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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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: pit · fall · suit · calf · arm · ruler · rush · stick

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fall — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fall — to drop
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. suit — clothes
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. suit — to fit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. suit — in cards

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