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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — thin
  3. last — finally
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. last — final
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fall — the season
  8. prune — to trim
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bound — certain
  11. fall — to drop
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. last — to go on
  14. lean — to bend
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fall — to drop

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