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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fall — to drop
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. firm — steady
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. firm — a company
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. saw — the tool
  10. key — for a lock
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. key — in music
  14. object — an aim
  15. pound — a weight
  16. object — a thing
  17. key — the most important part
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fall — the season
  23. lean — thin
  24. firm — decided

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