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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stem — to come from
  16. tube — a container
  17. track — a song
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tube — the underground
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — a path

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