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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stock — goods
  7. fall — to drop
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wind — moving air
  10. toast — bread
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — the season
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. snap — to click

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