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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. swing — music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fork — in a road
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spring — the season
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rash — a series
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fall — the season
  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