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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rash — a series
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. snap — to click
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rush — hurry

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