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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bound — certain
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fork — in a road
  6. root — of a word
  7. pop — music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fall — the season
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pop — soda
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rest — a break

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