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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fall — the season
  5. object — to protest
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stock — shares
  8. lean — thin
  9. object — a thing
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ground — the earth
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. craft — boats
  21. stock — goods
  22. object — an aim
  23. ground — a position
  24. hide — to keep secret

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