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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rash — hasty
  5. staff — employees
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rash — a series
  11. rule — a law
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — the season

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