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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fall — the season
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pop — soda
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rock — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pop — music
  24. rock — a stone

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