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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. net — after costs
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fall — to drop
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. net — in sport
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pit — in a race
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — a city
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — for catching
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lean — thin
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. capital — money
  24. pit — a hole

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