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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: firm · land · arm · fall · scale · wake · rest · plane

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. land — a country
  4. fall — the season
  5. rest — what's left
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. land — ground
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. land — to come down
  11. scale — in music
  12. firm — decided
  13. rest — a break
  14. plane — a tool
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. firm — steady
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — a company
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wake — a trail

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