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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rock — music
  7. firm — steady
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — decided
  10. sharp — clever
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. game — a match
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fall — the season
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. firm — a company
  24. rock — a stone

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