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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wind — moving air
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fall — the season
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — of water
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kick — in football
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. drill — army training
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wind — to turn a key

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