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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fall — the season
  9. file — a document
  10. pop — soda
  11. file — a tool
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — to fit
  14. dip — to sink
  15. present — there
  16. key — in music
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. land — ground
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. suit — clothes
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pop — music
  23. file — a line of people
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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