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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — a container
  4. fall — the season
  5. rule — a law
  6. march — music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rule — government
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. current — happening now
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. current — electric
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. march — the month
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. current — of water
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — boats
  24. rule — to rule out

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