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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — a face
  3. shower — rain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fall — the season
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mug — to rob
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stand — to bear

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