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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. suit — in cards
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rock — music
  7. fall — the season
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. object — an aim
  13. spell — magic
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tube — the underground
  16. spell — a short time
  17. shower — to wash
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. spell — letters
  20. tube — a container
  21. object — a thing
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — to fit

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