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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. court — for sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fall — the season
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. court — of law
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. date — the fruit
  11. court — of a king
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cabinet — ministers

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