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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. face — to point toward
  4. present — there
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — in sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. fall — to drop
  9. season — of the year
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. season — in sport
  13. rule — government
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. face — to confront
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fork — in a road
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. present — the time now
  24. fork — a garden tool

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