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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. march — the month
  5. perch — the fish
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cap — a lid
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a hat
  13. march — music
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — of ice
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. staff — employees
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. march — the month
  24. fall — the season

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