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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. firm — decided
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mug — a cup
  6. firm — steady
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — low music
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mug — a face
  15. firm — a company
  16. cap — of ice
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fall — the season
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cap — a lid

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