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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. craft — boats
  5. fall — the season
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. charge — a price
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. charge — in control
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rest — a break

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