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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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468
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: file · arm · fall · racket · pop · stand · can · row

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. file — a tool
  4. row — a line
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. file — a document
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stand — to bear
  10. can — to be able to
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. file — a line of people
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stand — for spectators

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