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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. track — a song
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — help
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. track — to keep track
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. track — a path
  21. ball — a dance
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fan — a supporter

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