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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tube — a container
  3. firm — a company
  4. object — to protest
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. object — a thing
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fall — the season
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — steady
  16. can — to be able to
  17. firm — decided
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bank — for money
  20. object — an aim
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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