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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — to fit
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rule — a law
  15. rest — a break
  16. fall — the season
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — government
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — a series

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