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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — an aim
  3. rush — hurry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. last — final
  8. fine — high quality
  9. last — finally
  10. fall — the season
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chair — a leader
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. object — to protest
  18. fine — all right
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pop — music
  22. object — a thing
  23. last — to go on
  24. fall — to drop

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