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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chest — a box
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chest — of your body
  14. land — to come down
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — a country
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fall — the season
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. land — ground
  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