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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. race — a contest
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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