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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · wake · fall · toast · bound · rock · face · straw

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. bound — obliged
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — certain
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fall — the season
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bound — tied together
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. face — to confront
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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