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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fall — the season
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. tube — the underground
  10. roll — a list
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. row — a line
  14. bore — to drill
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. board — to get on
  19. mark — a grade
  20. board — a committee
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. rush — hurry

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