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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fall — the season
  8. file — a document
  9. mug — a cup
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fork — in a road
  19. file — a line of people
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. file — a tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — a face
  24. bulb — 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