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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fall — to drop
  4. key — in music
  5. bound — certain
  6. ball — a great time
  7. capital — money
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lean — to bend
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fall — the season
  15. key — the most important part
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lean — thin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mug — a face
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. capital — a city
  24. ball — a dance

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