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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fall — to drop
  3. drill — army training
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — tied together
  9. row — a line
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fall — the season
  12. bound — obliged
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. suit — to fit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — clothes

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