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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rush — hurry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — the cause
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. root — of a word
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fall — the season
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. root — of a plant

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