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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. swing — in golf
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. degree — temperature
  7. suit — to fit
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bound — certain
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bound — obliged
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — tied together
  17. degree — from a university
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fall — the season
  22. kid — child
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. tube — a container

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