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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fall — the season
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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