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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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wake — a trail
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — shares
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stock — goods
  13. march — music
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — the month
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fall — the season
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wake — before a funeral

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