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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. deal — to handle
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — army training
  16. wake — a trail
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. leaves — to go away

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