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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — in control
  6. pop — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. charge — a price
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wax — to grow

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