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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fall — the season
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. snap — to click
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. scale — in music

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