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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — magic
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. spell — letters
  16. lie — to recline
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bore — gave birth

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