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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — for golf
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — music
  8. club — a group
  9. mug — a face
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tube — a container
  21. fall — the season
  22. mug — to rob
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pop — to visit

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