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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cell — a phone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cold — not warm
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mug — a cup
  13. charge — a price
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fall — the season
  20. charge — in control
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mug — a face

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