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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fall — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. club — for golf
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. season — in sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mine — for digging
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — to drop
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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