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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. plane — a tool
  4. clip — for paper
  5. march — the month
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — in cards
  9. march — the month
  10. suit — clothes
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. suit — to fit
  13. march — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — for digging
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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