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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. last — to go on
  3. stand — to bear
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a great time
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — final
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bound — certain
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. last — finally
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — the season
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. ball — a dance

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