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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. staff — employees
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wound — an injury
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — the season
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bore — to drill
  13. staff — a stick
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. toast — bread
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bore — to tire
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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