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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pop — to visit
  4. roll — a list
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fall — the season
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wound — an injury
  18. snap — to click
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fine — all right
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. safe — a strongbox

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