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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fine — all right
  5. track — a song
  6. club — for golf
  7. track — a path
  8. fall — to drop
  9. clip — for paper
  10. object — an aim
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. clip — a video
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. club — a group

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