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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bass — the fish
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mug — a face
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fall — to drop
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. suit — clothes
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mug — to rob
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cap — a lid
  24. suit — to fit

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