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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. swing — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fall — to drop
  11. firm — steady
  12. ground — a position
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. firm — decided
  19. bass — low music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fall — the season
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ground — the earth
  24. firm — a company

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