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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. rash — hasty
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spring — the season
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. board — a committee
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rash — a series
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fall — the season
  19. suit — to fit
  20. drill — the tool
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — to get on
  23. drill — army training
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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