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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 124 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lean — thin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. chest — a box
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fall — the season
  14. rash — a series
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chest — of your body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lean — to rest against

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