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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fall — the season
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. drill — army training
  6. fall — to drop
  7. drill — a practice
  8. suit — to fit
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. face — to confront
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mine — for digging
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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