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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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. staff — employees
  4. board — a committee
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. board — to get on
  13. fall — to drop
  14. capital — money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. tear — from crying
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. tear — to rip
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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