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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fall — the season
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fine — all right
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fine — high quality
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. land — to come down
  24. sharp — exactly

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