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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. firm — decided
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. kid — child
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. firm — steady
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fall — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. band — a music group
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. firm — a company
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. kid — to tease
  24. deal — a big deal

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