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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bound — tied together
  6. band — a music group
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a ring
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fall — to drop
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. row — a line
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mouse — the animal

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