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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cap — a hat
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fall — the season
  10. chair — a leader
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. hand — help
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. track — a path
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cap — of ice
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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