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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · toast · foot · stick · drill · mine

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. 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. fall — to drop
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. drill — a practice
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. drill — army training
  6. mine — for digging
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — a measure
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. 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