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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stand — to bear
  3. race — the arms race
  4. court — of law
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — humankind
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. craft — a skill
  11. court — of a king
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — the season
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — boats
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. race — a contest
  19. season — of the year
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. court — for sport
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. craft — a handicraft

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