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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fall — the season
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lean — thin
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lean — to bend
  13. net — for catching
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lean — to rest against

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