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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitch — completely
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. shower — to wash
  8. field — for sport
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. branch — a division
  11. field — farmland
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. shower — rain
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — in cards
  21. field — a subject
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ruler — a monarch

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