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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fall — to drop
  5. object — to protest
  6. lie — to recline
  7. object — an aim
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fall — the season
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. object — a thing
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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