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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chest — a box
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fall — the season
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lean — thin
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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