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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. last — to go on
  4. row — to paddle
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. last — finally
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. scale — in music
  10. row — a line
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mug — a cup
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mug — a face
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. last — final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — to come from
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stem — of a plant

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