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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a music group
  5. wind — moving air
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. band — a ring
  10. fine — all right
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — the season
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. row — a line
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — to drop

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