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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rock — music
  5. toast — bread
  6. fall — the season
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. squash — the sport
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rock — a stone
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fall — to drop
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rock — to move gently

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