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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. season — of the year
  6. game — a match
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. season — in sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. foot — a measure
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rash — a series
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. game — wild animals

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