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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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. rush — hurry
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. fine — all right
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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