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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. file — a document
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. file — a tool
  8. fall — the season
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fine — all right
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pass — a permit
  15. file — a line of people
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. track — a path
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. current — electric
  22. track — to keep track
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. track — a song

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