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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fall — to drop
  6. capital — money
  7. mug — to rob
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mug — a face
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wake — a trail
  13. capital — a city
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — a country
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. land — ground
  22. fall — the season
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. land — to come down

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