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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pop — music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — a song
  9. bound — certain
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pop — to visit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chip — to eat
  18. track — a path
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pop — soda
  21. fall — the season
  22. track — to keep track
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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