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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 120 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — soda
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fall — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pop — music
  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