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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — all right
  3. present — the time now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fall — the season
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. squash — the sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — there
  17. pit — in a race
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fine — high quality
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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