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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fall — the season
  4. spell — letters
  5. kid — child
  6. rest — a break
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. kid — to tease
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spell — a short time
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kick — in football
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. spell — magic

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