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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. can — a tin
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rest — a break
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fall — the season
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. plane — a tool
  24. can — to be able to

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