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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. court — for sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fall — the season
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. court — of law
  16. chair — a leader
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — boats
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — of a king
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. craft — a skill

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