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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. firm — decided
  3. fall — to drop
  4. firm — steady
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kid — child
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pop — music
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. firm — a company
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pop — soda
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pound — for dogs

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