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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — a law
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hand — help
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rule — government
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wax — in the ear

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