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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chip — to eat
  4. suit — to fit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. current — happening now
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. capital — a city
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. capital — money
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. current — electric
  14. chip — for betting
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fall — to drop
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — of water
  23. fall — the season
  24. capital — a big letter

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