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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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Word bank
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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: staff · mark · bound · foot · fall · roll

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. fall — the season
  3. foot — a measure
  4. staff — employees
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. staff — a stick
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. staff — employees
  14. bound — tied together
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bound — certain
  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