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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pound — a weight
  8. march — the month
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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