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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — an illness
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cold — not warm
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fall — to drop
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. firm — steady
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. fall — the season
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. firm — a company
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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