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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fall — the season
  7. stem — to come from
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fall — to drop
  13. toast — bread
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — a supporter

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