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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. land — ground
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. board — to get on
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fall — the season
  21. drill — army training
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — a committee

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