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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fall — the season
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — the animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. drill — army training
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fall — to drop
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. drill — the tool

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