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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mug — a face
  5. fall — the season
  6. mug — to rob
  7. firm — a company
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. firm — steady
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — decided
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mate — a friend
  21. land — a country
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spring — of water

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