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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fall — the season
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. drill — army training
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ground — a position
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bay — a horse colour

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