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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. last — final
  3. bound — certain
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fine — all right
  6. last — finally
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. last — to go on
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mug — a face
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fall — the season
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mug — to rob

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