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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fall — the season
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fall — to drop
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fan — a supporter

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