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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. kid — child
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. fork — in a road
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fall — the season
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — to go on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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