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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. court — of a king
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fall — to drop
  19. court — for sport
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fall — the season

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