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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bore — to drill
  8. prune — to trim
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bass — low music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rash — hasty
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fall — to drop
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rash — a series
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. toast — bread

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