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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. foot — a measure
  5. charge — a price
  6. fall — the season
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. firm — a company
  12. snap — to click
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. charge — in control
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. charge — electricity
  22. firm — decided
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. firm — steady

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