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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chair — a leader
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fall — the season
  22. rock — a stone
  23. date — the fruit
  24. safe — a strongbox

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