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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fall — the season
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hand — help
  7. firm — steady
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rash — hasty
  13. firm — decided
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rash — a series
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ball — a dance
  20. firm — a company
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rash — on the skin

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