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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: fall · foot · degree · season · bound · rock · lean · current

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. season — of the year
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lean — thin
  6. fall — the season
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bound — certain
  9. current — happening now
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. current — electric
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — in sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rock — music
  18. current — of water
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lean — to bend
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rock — to move gently

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