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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.

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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. charge — in control
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bound — tied together
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. capital — money
  11. fall — the season
  12. swing — music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. suit — in cards
  17. charge — a price
  18. capital — a city
  19. suit — clothes
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. suit — to fit

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