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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bound — certain
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — the cause
  7. race — humankind
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pass — a permit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. race — a contest
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fall — the season
  17. root — of a word
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. drill — army training
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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