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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. bat — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fall — to drop
  6. deal — to handle
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fine — all right
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wound — an injury
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. suit — to fit
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fine — a penalty
  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