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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mug — to rob
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mug — a cup
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. swing — music
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mug — a face
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. suit — to fit
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. swing — to play on
  24. dip — to sink

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