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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. court — of law
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. land — to come down
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. land — ground
  13. hand — help
  14. pit — in a race
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bore — to drill
  20. lean — thin
  21. bore — to tire
  22. land — a country
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cue — a signal

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