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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 116 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — low music
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fall — the season
  8. lean — thin
  9. band — a ring
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lean — to bend
  15. band — a music group
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. file — a document
  19. bass — the fish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — to drop
  22. file — a tool
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cabinet — ministers

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