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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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. snap — to click
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mug — to rob
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — a price
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mug — a cup
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rest — a break
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — in control
  21. plane — a tool
  22. shower — rain
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mug — a face

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