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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. court — for sport
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mine — for digging
  7. court — of law
  8. fall — the season
  9. court — of a king
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rest — a break
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fall — to drop

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