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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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. rush — hurry
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. content — happy
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mine — for digging
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fall — to drop
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. content — the amount
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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