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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — in cards
  3. snap — to click
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. suit — clothes
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. squash — the sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. suit — to fit
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stock — shares
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stock — goods
  24. fall — to drop

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