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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. suit — in cards
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. suit — clothes
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bound — tied together
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fall — the season
  23. bound — certain
  24. straw — dry grass

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