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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ball — a great time
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. content — happy
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. content — the amount
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fall — the season

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