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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lie — to recline
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rest — a break
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kid — child
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kid — to tease
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. last — finally
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fork — to eat with

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