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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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. fall — to drop
  4. spell — magic
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. capital — a city
  21. spell — a short time
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. craft — boats

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