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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. court — for sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tube — a container
  8. court — of a king
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rest — a break
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fall — the season
  18. bore — to drill
  19. suit — in cards
  20. court — of law
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pound — a weight

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