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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. drill — army training
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fall — to drop
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mine — an explosive

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