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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rest — a break
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fall — the season
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rest — what's left
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fall — to drop
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fan — a supporter

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