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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. court — for sport
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. court — of a king
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. court — of law
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. calf — a young 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