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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. snap — to click
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. firm — steady
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fall — the season
  15. firm — decided
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — a company
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — for pool

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