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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. season — in sport
  3. perch — the fish
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fall — the season
  10. lean — thin
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lean — to bend
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cap — a hat
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cap — a lid
  22. season — of the year
  23. cue — a signal
  24. perch — for a bird

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