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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — certain
  4. roll — a list
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mate — to breed
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mate — a friend

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