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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rock — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. fine — all right
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fall — the season
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fine — high quality
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. drill — the tool
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bass — low music
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — to drop

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