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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. season — of the year
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. bound — tied together
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — the season
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — in sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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