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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. date — the fruit
  9. face — to point toward
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lean — thin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fall — the season
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — to bend
  20. face — to confront
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fall — to drop
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mouse — the animal

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