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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stock — goods
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. fall — to drop
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. track — a song
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — a tool
  14. march — music
  15. track — a path
  16. net — in sport
  17. track — to keep track
  18. march — the month
  19. spell — letters
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. march — the month
  24. stock — a soup base

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