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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. last — to go on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bound — certain
  17. drill — army training
  18. chair — a leader
  19. last — final
  20. swing — music
  21. last — finally
  22. fall — to drop
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chair — to sit on

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