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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rush — hurry
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. swing — music
  8. content — happy
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. content — the amount
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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