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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. object — a thing
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. drill — the tool
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. fall — to drop
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. drill — army training
  21. fall — the season
  22. bound — tied together
  23. safe — out of danger
  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