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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. season — of the year
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — magic
  9. fall — the season
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spell — a short time
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spell — letters
  22. band — a ring
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fall — to drop

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