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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. key — the most important part
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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