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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. net — after costs
  6. stock — shares
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chair — a leader
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. net — for catching
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. drill — the tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — in sport
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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