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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bound — tied together
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. court — of a king
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fall — the season
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. court — of law
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — obliged
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. court — for sport
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. leaves — to go away

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