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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 124 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kid — to tease
  3. land — to come down
  4. fall — to drop
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fall — the season
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. press — newspapers
  11. current — happening now
  12. land — a country
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. press — to push
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kid — child
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. current — electric
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — a young animal

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