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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bulb — for light
  9. race — humankind
  10. drill — a practice
  11. file — a tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fall — to drop
  14. race — the arms race
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rash — a series
  18. file — a document
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. suit — clothes
  21. race — a contest
  22. drill — army training
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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