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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fork — in a road
  3. last — finally
  4. firm — steady
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. capital — a city
  8. fall — the season
  9. root — of a plant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. firm — a company
  13. root — of a word
  14. rash — a series
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. firm — decided
  20. capital — money
  21. root — the cause
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rash — on the skin

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