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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. content — the amount
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fall — to drop
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. staff — employees
  13. mark — a grade
  14. content — happy
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — a lid
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pitch — completely

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