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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. land — to come down
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — ground
  11. board — a committee
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fall — the season
  14. board — to get on
  15. pitch — completely
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. land — a country
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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