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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fall — the season
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mug — a face
  6. suit — clothes
  7. object — an aim
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. object — a thing
  10. spell — letters
  11. object — to protest
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. snap — to click
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mug — to rob
  17. suit — in cards
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. spell — magic
  23. stem — to come from
  24. staff — employees

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