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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. toast — bread
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chest — a box
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pass — a permit
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. drill — a practice
  15. game — a match
  16. fall — the season
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. drill — army training
  22. perch — the fish
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fall — to drop

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