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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fall — the season
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bass — low music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lean — thin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stem — of a plant

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