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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — the season
  7. rest — a break
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fall — to drop
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pit — a hole

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