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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — goods
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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