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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. scale — in music
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fall — the season
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lean — thin
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lean — to rest against

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