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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fall — the season
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rock — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — a line
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — a stone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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