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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. cue — for pool
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. roll — a list
  7. toast — bread
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spell — magic
  17. lean — thin
  18. cue — a signal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fall — the season
  22. roll — a cake
  23. spell — letters
  24. toast — the most admired

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