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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fall — the season
  4. spell — magic
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spell — a short time
  14. file — a document
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. spell — letters
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. file — a tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  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