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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. season — of the year
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lie — to recline
  10. season — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — the cause
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wake — a trail
  19. root — of a word
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. root — of a plant
  24. suit — to fit

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