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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spring — the season
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spring — of water
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bank — for money
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fall — the season
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — a grade
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. march — music
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bank — for money

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