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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fall — the season
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — a song
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. charge — a price
  18. rush — hurry
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. charge — in control
  22. ball — a dance
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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