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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bear — the animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wind — moving air
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. snap — to click
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ball — a great time
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bear — the animal

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