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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — a leader
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bound — certain
  10. fall — the season
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pit — a hole
  18. staff — a stick
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — in a race
  24. nail — for a hammer

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