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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fall — the season
  6. can — a tin
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — the time now
  9. can — to be able to
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mug — a face
  12. fall — to drop
  13. snap — to click
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fall — to drop
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. swing — music
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. present — a gift
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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