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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 120 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fall — to drop
  4. club — for golf
  5. sharp — clever
  6. present — the time now
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fall — the season
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. club — a group

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