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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fall — the season
  7. press — newspapers
  8. sharp — clever
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mine — for digging
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lie — to recline
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. press — to push
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. sharp — with an edge

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