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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. land — ground
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. object — a thing
  8. march — the month
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. object — an aim
  14. land — to come down
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tube — a container
  18. object — to protest
  19. fall — the season
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. land — a country
  24. ball — a dance

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