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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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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fall — to drop
  6. face — to confront
  7. tear — from crying
  8. face — to point toward
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. tear — to rip
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ground — a position
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fork — in a road

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