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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. swing — music
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cap — a hat
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — all right
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fine — high quality
  19. swing — in golf
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. suit — in cards
  24. date — on the calendar

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