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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. court — of a king
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. court — of law
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. squash — to crush
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — for sport
  24. hide — animal skin

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