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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. press — newspapers
  5. roll — a cake
  6. land — to come down
  7. press — a publisher
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — thin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fall — the season
  16. land — a country
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. roll — a list
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. press — to push
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. fall — to drop
  24. land — ground

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