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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. track — a path
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. spring — the season
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. drill — army training
  18. track — a song
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fall — the season
  24. coach — a trainer

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