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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. fall — to drop
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fall — the season
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. scale — in music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stand — to bear
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. drill — army training
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. staff — employees
  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