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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — low music
  3. current — of water
  4. fall — the season
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bore — to tire
  7. land — to come down
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — electric
  10. bass — the fish
  11. land — a country
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. current — happening now
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — ground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — goods
  18. bore — to drill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bore — gave birth

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