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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tube — a container
  3. kick — in football
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bank — for money
  6. fall — to drop
  7. tube — the underground
  8. club — for golf
  9. fall — the season
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bank — of a river
  12. degree — an amount
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stand — to bear
  17. club — for dancing
  18. craft — boats
  19. degree — temperature
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bank — for money
  23. club — a group
  24. tube — in a tire

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