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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. file — a line of people
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. press — to push
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. file — a tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a document
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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