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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. snap — to click
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. firm — decided
  13. mark — a grade
  14. branch — a division
  15. mark — a trace
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cap — a lid
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cue — a hint
  22. firm — a company
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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