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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fall — the season
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ball — a great time
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wake — a trail
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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