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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bat — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — in control
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fall — the season
  16. charge — a price
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. band — a ring

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