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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fall — to drop
  5. suit — in cards
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. capital — money
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. branch — a division
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. club — for dancing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. club — a group
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fall — the season
  22. club — for golf
  23. bat — the animal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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