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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spell — a short time
  4. court — for sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. court — of a king
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. spell — letters
  10. object — to protest
  11. court — of law
  12. toast — bread
  13. bear — the animal
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. bear — the animal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bound — obliged
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. spell — magic
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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