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

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. dip — to sink
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chest — a box
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chest — of your body
  9. charge — in control
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. charge — a price
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bowl — to roll

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