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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. suit — to fit
  7. clip — a video
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. clip — for paper
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. toast — bread
  12. fall — to drop
  13. clip — to cut
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitch — completely
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fall — the season
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. object — a thing
  20. fall — to drop
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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