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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ball — a dance
  4. tube — the underground
  5. deal — to handle
  6. squash — the sport
  7. face — to confront
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — a container
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chair — a leader
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. toast — bread
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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