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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. suit — in cards
  5. swing — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cap — a hat
  10. swing — to play on
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cap — of ice
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. snap — to click
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. plane — a tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cap — a lid
  23. deal — to handle
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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