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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kid — child
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kid — to tease
  18. chest — a box
  19. key — in music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fall — to drop

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