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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: ruler · bear · fall · pound · suit · dip · wake · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bear — the animal

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