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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fall — to drop
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fall — the season
  8. chest — of your body
  9. last — final
  10. chest — of your body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chest — a box
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — finally
  16. lie — to recline
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. last — to go on

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