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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fall — the season
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. club — for golf
  14. suit — in cards
  15. club — a group
  16. pitch — completely
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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