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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lie — to recline
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fall — the season
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — a series
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — certain
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rash — hasty
  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