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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cap — a hat
  4. present — there
  5. bat — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fall — the season
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. present — the time now
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. present — a gift
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. court — of law
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cap — of ice
  24. court — for sport

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