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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: craft · club · chair · foot · shower · object · rest · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. rest — what's left
  3. object — to protest
  4. rest — what's left
  5. club — for dancing
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rest — a break
  11. object — an aim
  12. fall — the season
  13. club — for golf
  14. foot — a measure
  15. object — a thing
  16. club — a group
  17. craft — a skill
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. craft — boats
  23. chair — a leader
  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