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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — to protest
  3. land — a country
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — a thing
  8. fall — to drop
  9. land — ground
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — in sport
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. land — to come down
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. fall — the season
  22. object — an aim
  23. rash — a series
  24. season — of the year

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