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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fall — the season
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. scale — in music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. present — the time now
  13. spring — the season
  14. present — there
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. scale — size or range
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. present — a gift
  21. spring — of water
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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