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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. drill — army training
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fall — the season
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stand — to bear
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. spring — of water
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. drill — the tool
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spring — a coil
  20. drill — a practice
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. spring — the season
  24. racket — a loud noise

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