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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 116 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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468
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fall — the season
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bowl — a dish

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