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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fall — the season
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. object — to protest
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — a thing
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. object — an aim

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