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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fall — to drop
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mug — a face
  18. rule — government
  19. rash — a series
  20. game — a match
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fall — the season
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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