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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lie — to recline
  3. vault — a safe
  4. march — the month
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. march — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stem — of a plant

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