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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rest — a break
  5. fall — the season
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. snap — to click
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mouse — the animal

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