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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fall — to drop
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. suit — to fit
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. suit — clothes
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. suit — in cards
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. wake — before a funeral

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