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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 124 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — shares
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. last — finally
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. last — to go on
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — certain
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stock — goods
  21. last — final
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bound — obliged

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