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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. ball — a great time
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bound — tied together
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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