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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wax — to grow
  10. squash — the sport
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mug — a face
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ball — a dance
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lean — thin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fall — the season
  24. mug — a cup

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