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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spell — magic
  4. fall — the season
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stem — to come from
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. firm — a company
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — decided
  21. bound — certain
  22. spell — letters
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — a thrill

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