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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bore — to tire
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. track — a song
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — the season
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. scale — in music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bore — to drill
  23. track — a path
  24. straw — dry grass

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