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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 116 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. firm — steady
  4. fall — to drop
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. firm — a company
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fall — the season
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. firm — decided

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