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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. object — an aim
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — shares
  8. object — a thing
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pound — a weight
  16. object — to protest
  17. stock — goods
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pit — a hole
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. hide — animal skin

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