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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 116 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fall — the season
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lie — to recline
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. squash — to crush
  21. present — the time now
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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