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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fall — to drop
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fall — to drop
  8. roll — a cake
  9. sharp — clever
  10. snap — to click
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wax — to grow
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fall — the season
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. suit — in cards
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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