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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · saw · mouse · key · last · fan · suit · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. wake — a trail
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fall — to drop
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fall — the season
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fall — to drop
  11. saw — the tool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. suit — in cards
  16. key — in music
  17. last — final
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. suit — clothes
  23. key — for a lock
  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