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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — the time now
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. present — there
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rash — a series
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. chair — a leader
  13. present — a gift
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fall — the season
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stand — for spectators

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