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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a great time
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stock — goods
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. kick — in football
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stock — shares
  18. staff — employees
  19. shower — rain
  20. track — a song
  21. plane — a tool
  22. track — a path
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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