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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. present — there
  4. rest — what's left
  5. row — a line
  6. present — the time now
  7. rock — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cell — in biology
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fall — the season
  13. bound — certain
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. present — a gift
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rest — a break
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fall — to drop

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