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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. track — a song
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. track — a path
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fall — the season
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rule — government
  14. fall — to drop
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rule — a law
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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