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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 116 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fall — the season
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bulb — of a plant

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