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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — a face
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to click
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fall — to drop
  20. capital — a city
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — the season

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