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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. last — to go on
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. last — finally
  13. fall — to drop
  14. last — final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — all right
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fall — the season
  22. chair — a leader
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rash — hasty

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