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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — the time now
  9. bass — low music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. present — a gift
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rock — music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. present — there
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fall — the season
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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