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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. current — of water
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pound — a weight
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. current — happening now
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — electric
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. temple — a place of worship

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