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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. sharp — exactly
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — a division
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. court — of law
  7. bound — tied together
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bound — certain
  18. suit — in cards
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fall — the season
  21. sharp — clever
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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