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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. face — to point toward
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mug — a face
  7. face — part of the head
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fine — all right
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fall — the season
  17. capital — a city
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. capital — money
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. face — to confront
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mug — to rob

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