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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. toast — bread
  6. race — the arms race
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stem — to come from
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. drill — a practice
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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