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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bear — the animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. club — a group
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fall — the season
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bear — to put up with

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