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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pop — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fine — all right
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. can — a tin
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fall — the season
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pop — soda
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — for a hammer

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