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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fall — the season
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hand — in cards
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rule — government
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rule — a law
  16. hand — help
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — to drill
  24. row — a line

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