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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fall — to drop
  10. file — a tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — to drill
  16. march — music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stem — to come from

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