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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. charge — in control
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — the month
  14. suit — to fit
  15. charge — a price
  16. kick — in football
  17. suit — in cards
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fall — the season
  21. march — music
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pitcher — a jug

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