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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 124 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fall — the season
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. season — in sport
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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