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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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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: fall · foot · ruler · pound · date · lean · squash · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. date — the fruit
  4. squash — to crush
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lean — thin
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fall — the season
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fall — to drop
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. arm — part of the body

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