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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stock — shares
  3. rock — a stone
  4. root — the cause
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — of a word
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stock — goods
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fall — the season
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rock — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fan — a supporter

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