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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. file — a document
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. file — a tool
  5. present — there
  6. fall — the season
  7. mug — a cup
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mug — a face
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. file — a line of people
  13. present — the time now
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. present — a gift
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. shower — rain
  21. fall — to drop
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mug — to rob

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