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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. net — for catching
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. net — after costs
  7. track — a path
  8. bass — low music
  9. object — to protest
  10. press — newspapers
  11. object — an aim
  12. track — a song
  13. press — to push
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fall — to drop
  18. net — in sport
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mine — for digging
  22. press — a publisher
  23. object — a thing
  24. mouse — the animal

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