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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mug — to rob
  6. clip — a video
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. clip — to cut
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pound — a weight
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — a face

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