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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. drill — army training
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. drill — a practice
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stand — to bear

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