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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. land — ground
  3. firm — steady
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. firm — a company
  8. bound — obliged
  9. craft — boats
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — a country
  13. bound — certain
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fall — the season
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. land — to come down
  19. firm — decided
  20. vault — a safe
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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