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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tear — to rip
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. suit — to fit
  15. swing — music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. tear — from crying
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ball — a dance
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tear — from crying

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