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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mate — a friend
  10. row — a line
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bound — certain
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tube — a container
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fall — to drop
  20. game — a match
  21. mate — to breed
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. tube — the underground

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