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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pop — to visit
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — magic
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to click
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. board — a committee
  21. spell — letters
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — to get on
  24. rock — a stone

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