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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kid — child
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — ground
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fall — the season
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fall — to drop
  19. land — to come down
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fall — to drop
  23. land — a country
  24. pass — a permit

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