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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — a country
  7. cue — a signal
  8. land — to come down
  9. charge — a price
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. land — ground
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fall — the season
  22. charge — in control
  23. lean — thin
  24. mine — an explosive

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