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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. charge — in control
  12. spring — the season
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fall — the season
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spring — of water
  18. present — there
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. present — the time now
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. charge — a price
  24. dip — to dunk

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