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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lean — thin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — completely
  10. firm — steady
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — newspapers
  14. firm — decided
  15. snap — to click
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. firm — a company
  19. press — to push
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stem — to come from
  24. lie — an untruth

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