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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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 — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rock — music
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fall — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mate — a friend
  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