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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rush — hurry
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. branch — a division
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fall — the season
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. toast — bread
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. trunk — of a car

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