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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. firm — steady
  7. bore — to drill
  8. band — a ring
  9. spell — letters
  10. fall — the season
  11. bore — to tire
  12. vault — a safe
  13. band — a music group
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. last — finally
  16. firm — a company
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — magic
  20. firm — decided
  21. last — to go on
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. spell — a short time
  24. last — final

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