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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — tied together
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bound — certain
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. drill — army training
  8. cold — an illness
  9. track — a path
  10. fall — the season
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bound — obliged
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cold — not warm
  16. fall — to drop
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. suit — clothes
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bass — the fish
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — low music
  23. track — a song
  24. drill — the tool

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