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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — a group
  3. fall — to drop
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rash — a series
  16. fall — the season
  17. rash — hasty
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. club — for golf
  22. march — music
  23. snap — to click
  24. march — the month

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