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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 124 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mark — a trace
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fall — the season
  6. rock — music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. staff — employees
  11. root — of a word
  12. mark — a grade
  13. plane — a tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. root — of a plant
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. root — the cause
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cold — not warm

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