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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. press — to push
  3. fall — to drop
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fall — to drop
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fall — the season
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bore — to drill
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. coach — a trainer

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