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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fall — the season
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fall — to drop
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. toast — bread
  17. pitch — completely
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — to recline
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. roll — a list
  24. mate — a friend

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