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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fall — to drop
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pass — a permit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — the season
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. swing — music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wind — moving air
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — with an edge

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