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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fall — the season
  6. pop — music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. staff — employees
  14. club — a group
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pop — soda
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rush — hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. hide — to keep secret

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