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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. craft — a skill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. charge — electricity
  7. root — the cause
  8. charge — in control
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — boats
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. charge — a price
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. root — of a word
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cap — of ice

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