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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. degree — from a university
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. current — happening now
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fall — the season
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ball — a great time
  10. current — electric
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. degree — an amount
  19. current — of water
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ball — a round shape
  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