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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fall — the season
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. band — a music group
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mug — to rob
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. shower — rain
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mug — a face
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. band — a ring
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stock — goods
  22. mug — a cup
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stock — shares

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