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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. row — a line
  5. fall — the season
  6. track — a path
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. track — a song
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. row — a quarrel

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