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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. track — a song
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. track — a path
  7. cold — an illness
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fine — all right
  14. wind — moving air
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fall — the season
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cold — not warm
  24. suit — in cards

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