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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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. tube — in a tire
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — to come down
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lean — to bend
  11. firm — steady
  12. drill — a practice
  13. firm — a company
  14. deal — to handle
  15. drill — army training
  16. fall — the season
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. firm — decided
  21. bound — tied together
  22. land — a country
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bound — certain

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