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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spell — magic
  3. track — to keep track
  4. spell — letters
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pit — in a race
  16. track — a path
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. track — a song
  24. chair — a leader

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