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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — for money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bank — of a river
  19. scale — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rest — a break
  23. perch — for a bird
  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