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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · fine · mine · fall · suit · straw · wind · track

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fall — the season
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. track — a path
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wind — moving air
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fine — high quality
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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