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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — a hole
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. row — a line
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fall — the season
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. firm — decided
  24. lie — an untruth

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