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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mug — to rob
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. track — to keep track
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mug — a cup
  17. track — a song
  18. fall — the season
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — a path
  21. band — a music group
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a face

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