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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rock — music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. charge — in control
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wake — a trail
  13. charge — a price
  14. rock — a stone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. fall — the season
  20. toast — bread
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. arm — a part of something

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