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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fall — the season
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. field — for sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — farmland
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. field — a subject
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. rest — a break
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. object — to protest

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