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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fall — to drop
  3. track — a song
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — a group
  6. fall — the season
  7. mug — a face
  8. track — a path
  9. spring — the season
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. spring — of water
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — to keep track
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mug — a cup
  20. club — for golf
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rest — what's left

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