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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bound — obliged
  8. file — a document
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bass — low music
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bound — certain
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — the season
  21. file — a tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cue — a signal

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