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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mug — to rob
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fall — the season
  8. present — there
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mug — a face
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — a gift
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. content — happy
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. content — the amount
  24. suit — in cards

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