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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — for catching
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. foot — a measure
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. net — in sport
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. net — after costs
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — the season
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stand — to bear
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — to drop
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — money

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