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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cold — an illness
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. drill — army training
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cold — not warm
  8. fall — the season
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. drill — a practice
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. charge — a price
  16. lean — to bend
  17. can — to be able to
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lean — thin
  20. can — a tin
  21. charge — in control
  22. fall — to drop
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bank — for money

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