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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cue — a hint
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cue — a signal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bore — to tire

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