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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tube — the underground
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fall — the season
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. date — on the calendar

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