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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rule — government
  5. pop — music
  6. lean — thin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rule — a law
  10. bass — low music
  11. pop — soda
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pit — in a race
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fall — the season
  20. pit — a hole
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fine — all right

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