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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cold — not warm
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cold — an illness
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fall — to drop
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bound — tied together
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fall — the season
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. charge — a price

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