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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spell — magic
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fall — the season
  6. firm — a company
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mate — a friend
  9. firm — decided
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mate — to breed
  12. can — a tin
  13. present — the time now
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. present — there
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. present — a gift
  23. spell — letters
  24. firm — steady

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