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

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. march — the month
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. key — in music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bulb — for light

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