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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stock — shares
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fall — the season
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stock — goods
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — to grow
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a great time

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