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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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468
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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. tube — a container
  5. bass — the fish
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitch — completely
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — low music
  18. fall — the season
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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