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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pop — music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fall — the season
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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