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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mug — a face
  10. snap — to click
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mug — a cup
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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